SHEFFIELD DISTRICT SOCIETY Meeting, Ranmoor.
RANMOOR BELLS
RESTORATION SCHEME.
Ringing World Vol 22, Iss 833, p150,
Saturday 5th March 1927 Full
SHEFFIELD DISTRICT SOCIETY Meeting.
RANMOOR BELLS RESTORATION SCHEME.
Despite the unsettled state of the weather, about 50 members
visited Ranmoor, on Saturday, March 5th, the towers represented being:
Barnsley, Chesterfield, Dore, Handsworth, Killamarsh, Norton,
Rotherham, Sheffield Cathedral, All Saints’, St. Marie’s, Treeton and
Wortley, backed up by a strong contingent of the local company.
The peal of eight bells are not in very good going
order,
consequently it was not surprising that the majority of attempts to
bring touches round came to grief, though it was gratifying to land a
course of London Surprise.
The Vicar, Rev. J. R. Lee Nicholls (a ringing member of the
Society), conducted the service in the magnificent church, and gave a
most interesting address which was commendable for its brevity.
Tea was provided in the local schoolroom with the usual
thoroughness characteristic of the Ramnoor company, where the ringers
were joined by the organist and the two churchwardens.
The business meeting, presided over by the Vicar, was opened by
a course of Grandsire Caters on the handbells, after which the minutes
of last year’s annual meeting were passed ‘as read.’ The balance sheet
was presented, and showed a clear gain of £2 0s. 7d. on the year's
working, which, together with the capital in the bank, indicated the
society’s worth at December 31st last to be £10 3s. 1d.
An extempore report for the year 1926 was given by the secretary
(Mr. Colin Harrison), who took the opportunity to eulogise the services
which the late Mr. Sam Thomas had rendered to the local company and the
Sheffield District Society, and expressed the hope that the
Vicar and
his colleagues would in the near future take some steps to improving
the condition of St. John’s bells as a memorial to Mr. Thomas.
Twenty-two peals had been rung during the year, which represented an
increase of 7 over 1925, the methods ranging from Minor to Cinques, and
including Grandsire, Treble Bob, Plain Bob, Little Bob, Double Norwich,
Norfolk Surprise, Cambridge Surprise Major and Royal, New Cambridge,
Yorkshire and London Surprise Major. The peal book was entered up to
date, and the society had no
outstanding financial liabilities whatever.
The whole of the officers and members of committees were
re-elected with the exception of the president, Mr. Arthur Craven
expressing the desire to retire on the grounds of indifferent health
and other calls upon his time. Mr. J. P. Tarlton, of North Wingfield,
was therefore unanimously elected to this honoured post for the ensuing
year.
In replying to the vote of thanks to the Vicar, churchwardens
and local company, the Rev. J. R. Lee Nicholls said that they
fully
appreciated the remarks of the secretary with regard to the condition
of their bells. He agreed that their rehanging, etc., would be a
fitting memorial to the late Mr. Sam Thomas, and the local Church
Council were unanimous in their opinion regarding the welfare of the
bells and their ringers. They had already received two tenders from
leading bellfounders for carrying out the intended work, which
approximated to £700, but owing to the bad times through which we were
passing, aud the heavy drain which the diocesan fund made upon their
resources (their quota to this fund was £400 annually), they did not
think that the moment which they could call opportune had arrived to
carry out an ambitious scheme. — Mr. Tindall, churchwarden, associated
himself and his colleague with what the Vicar had said, and assured the
gathering that the matter would not be shelved; they were only
waiting for financial conditions to improve, so that, when they made
their appeal for funds, they would be assured of a successful response.
Although the service, tea and business meeting occupied the best
part of 2 1/2, hours, members considered the time well spent in having
the assurance that the Vicar and his colleagues were with them in their
desire to perpetuate the memory of Sam Thomas in a lasting and
much-hoped-for manner.
End of Article
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